Thai people urged to take steps when visiting fields as virus has spread to many animals
PUBLISHED: 23 Jan 2025 at 16:33
Thai health officials have warned people to take steps while visiting cattle farms and not to drink organic milk in order to avoid contracting the bird virus then being found in animals.
People who visit cattle ranches must protect themselves from infections because there have been instances in many countries global of H5N1 avian flu in animals such as milch cows, pigs and even cats, said Dr Jurai Wongsawat, spokesperson for the Department of Disease Control.
“This happens because the disease has adapted and can cause the disease in animals. It is the mark that transfer to man is feasible although it may not happen right away, ” she said.
She also warned people not to drink raw milk but to select pasteurised materials instead.
“ In the United States, there have been instances of dairy cattle landowners infected with the bird flu. Therefore, people should not consume fresh milk, ” Dr Jurai said.
She also said that health officials were on standby to manage the disease along the border with Cambodia because bird flu in the adjacent country was serious, with a fatality rate as high as 50 %.
The most recent individual mortality in Cambodia, in September, was a 15-year-old-girl who had handled sick animals in her town.